Vantramps

Chicken Gals

2012-10-08T12:31:00.002-07:00

The new ladies are here and they have their own living quarters so Taj's fears are finally put to rest!

This started as a group of five which lasted right up to the first one that crowed! Yep, a male was hiding amongst the gals, trying to keep silent but his instincts betrayed him and he quickly ended up in Heidi's stew-pot... You see, these critters have a purpose aside from just providing entertainment value! They are hopefully going to be productive little egg factories providing us with healthy, nummy food! Obviously, only the hens can pull that off :)

Heidi has been busy over the last few weeks preparing the fine home you see above. She located it via Craigslist at a great price just down the road from us a few miles. Both the coop and the pen were part of the deal and Heidi has made many improvements to each. Even with the addition of the roof on the "chicken run" and extra material to strengthen & secure the coop, they are both easily moved to keep the girls on fresh, "scratchable" ground.

I admit I even think the inside looks sorta comfy.

Magic Carpet or Segway?!

2012-09-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

Easy Choice! Since we couldn't locate a magic carpet anywhere, Heidi and I recently picked up this clean first generation i167 Segway found locally on Craigslist. Perhaps the best money we ever spent!

With my lack of air due to the CF, keeping up with Heidi while we are out and about isn't too likely. The Segway, who we of course named already, "Steve", is perfect for getting around most anywhere we go. I have been enjoying my newfound range by visiting the horses at the stable fairly often now, shopping in town with Heidi and soon accompanying her and Dad on many future walks & expeditions on the waterfront & local trails.

"Gliding" along on a Segway is an easily mastered skill. It is very intuitive and feels quite safe. My initial glide with a spotter had me on my own in less than a minute, moving carefully within a small area for a couple more minutes then gradually extending that range. If you have ever been interested in trying a Segway out, definitely check for a local Segway Tour company. They are fairly common now and will be fun and educational. Great way to explore local scenery!

Steve and Taj have had a chance to meet of course but for the moment, the Dodge truck, Seth, gets the hauling duties until Taj gets a new hitch receiver for the carrier to mount to. (pictured below)

This clever gadget for hauling the Segway was part of the deal.

Perhaps not much of an update on what we have been doing, but I promise to get to that soon. With the winter months coming soon, I expect I will be online again a lot more often. Wonder how Steve does in the snow...

Leatherwork - Fun, useful skill and perfect for vantramping!

2012-06-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

After collecting some tools, doing a bit of reading and finally applying some of the learning, I am pretty happy with my first leather creation. These are the pants I made for Heidi's favorite folding knife, "Willy"(yep, we still name everything). Most of the design is my own with the exception of the bushing that helps auto-open the blade when un-sheathing the knife. I had seen that before online somewhere a while back and thought it looked like a good idea.

Leathercraft is definitely a nomad friendly hobby! I enjoy it about the same as doing jewelry work, and it is just as easy to do in the small spaces of a van or RV. Of course I plan to do a lot more of it and have a few ideas even to dress Taj up a bit, but she isn't getting pants! That is just way more hand stitching than I could handle!

Another New Foal & Andy Update

2012-05-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome little friend! I am not really sure what this little guys name is just yet, but he is a sweet one! His Mom, Ellie, has been carefully watching over him as his first few days were a bit difficult. His right rear leg/foot was turned outward a bit at birth and both rear legs were pretty weak to where he wasn't standing on his hoof rather more the back of his calf.

Took just a few days and he is just fine now & having a little fun!

He is as cute as they get and has a very sweet personality!

Andy is doing very well also! He is full of attitude and energy which makes him loads of fun for Heidi and Dad to train!

Hope you enjoyed the quick update! The next post is a Taj mod! About time eh?!

New somewhat furry Baby!

2012-04-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

This cute little critter is a new addition at the Thomas Morgan Ranch, (also known as Dad's place). He was born on Tuesday, April 24th and was quickly dubbed "Atlantis Crossing". We call him "Andy" for short and he is apparently a bit of a ham! Tongue out at the camera!

Research & Planning

2012-04-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

This is the fun part! With probably at least two years of scrimping & saving to afford land, Heidi and I have lots of time to plan and research and dream! The simple picture above is a product of my thoughts lately. The layout and details are way off from what the likely end result will be, but some of the basic pieces are there. I really am getting into the idea of "Auquaponics"! Healthy, nummy fishies and organic vegetables from one efficient system, whats not to love?!!

The dome greenhouse is another concept I have been digging into as I really think it is the perfect home for a nice AP system. That funny looking grid thingy on the right is an idea I have been wanting to experiment with for capturing the heat of compost to heat water. That isn't an original idea as many people are doing it successfully already, but it is something I want to try on a very small scale to see if it will work for helping heat the greenhouse in winter. We have many sources of compost here to experiment with, perhaps even this summer. Should be interesting!

Wind power is another topic that will likely see some "pre-land" experimenting. Dad's ranch may just end up a bit greener if he is up for it! Combined with solar(PV etc) and conservation, I really believe we can comfortably go without any connection to the grid on the future homestead.

I realize I haven't mentioned much about the main living quarters & "docking station". Both are topics for future posts for sure! I will say that so far, cob construction is in the lead but nothing is decided yet of course. I better also say that this post is mostly about some of my ideas, Heidi supports them but also has a ton of really great plans of her own for our future home.

When it all comes down to it though, planning is fun, but none of us knows what will happen tomorrow. Having something to reach for is good for the spirit though! Now I really just need to get into shape!

Driving Change

2012-04-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Most folks that know Heidi and I well, know how much we enjoy Taj and the nomadic lifestyle. So why are we now, at least partially, changing direction? Coronal Mass Ejection? Peak Oil? The threat of economic meltdown? Angry Birds perhaps?

Nah...None of the above. After facing our own dire health predictions for 40 some years, doomsday scenarios don't really get us too excited. Besides, we both believe "To live is Christ, to die is gain"

Really, it is very much for the same reasons we both love VanTramping. We want to do as much as possible to live in simple, self sustainable ways but even a bit beyond that. We want to do whatever we can to help others in that same quest. We both believe that going for a complete and efficient off-grid style homestead will give us the best chance to accomplish those goals.

This blog is still very much about VanTramping too. I expect at least half of what we blog about in the future to be very relevant to the nomadic lifestyle. From the tons of mods I still have planned for Taj to the ideas that can function in either mode(stationary or mobile), we will always share information relevant to life on the road.

Realistically, it will likely take us two years or so to save enough to acquire the amount of land we want.(2.5 to 5 acres) In the meantime, lots of fun research and experimenting!. Solar & wind power generation, dome greenhouse, aquaponics, and a bunch more projects could get built ahead of time if things work out well.

Perhaps one of the best reasons driving change is the overwhelming feeling that it is the right direction for us. The more we think about it, the more it just makes sense.

Heidi Won!

2012-02-28T14:53:00.001-08:00

To say that leaves poor Taj a bit concerned is far beyond an understatement! Terrified would be much closer! There has always been the threat of chickens looming, but not being one to only go half way, my Sweet Heidi has upped her game and added a miniature cow! Well, as one who is easily sucked in by cute little animal faces and my precious wife, I completely caved.

Sorry Taj, Deal with it! Okay, just kidding, there will not be cows tied to Taj's bumper or chickens driving (Go ahead, I left that door wide open). There is however a new plan! A major change actually, and it is one that has been coming for some time.

Us road loving VanTramps are going to start looking for a little piece of land here on the Olympic Peninsula to do an off-grid something or other...Not sure what exactly that will end up being quite yet, but likely at least a "docking station" for Taj and maybe an outdoor kitchen (firebrick oven), possibly a craft studio and or maybe even a cabin. We are just in planning stages and saving up so who knows what the final result will be. I do know that Taj will be a continuous part of it and the modding and fun will continue.

For the blog, it just means there will be a wider variety of topics shared. A lot more homesteading, gardening and off-grid type topics. Also, of course at some point, cute little cow pictures and chickens too. You will probably start to see more of our hearts and beliefs being shared as well, I hope that doesn't scare anyone away, we are the same, just feeling like we have been holding back a lot that matters to us.

On that note, assuming no mass exodus by our readers, we will share more of our plans/goals soon!

Still Here!

2012-02-11T17:07:00.000-08:00

We are still here that is! I am not so sure about the Glines Canyon Dam shown above though. They have finally been working to remove it in recent months. As part of the Elwha River Restoration, it is a very cool project that I may write more about in the future.

Ever had one of those days where you wake up and wonder what in the world you are doing? I had one of them a few weeks back. It has been building for a while, but for some reason, something clicked that day and it all came together in my head. I had been in a bit of a holding pattern or perhaps even a "funk" of sorts.

I am pretty sure it is just that I am interested in so many various things that I lose focus. One of those things affected of course, has been the blog. No writer's block or lack of material, rather the opposite. I always have a ton of topics in my head. How does a person decide? I keep getting stuck at the part about catching a tiger by it's toe. There is never any info on how to catch him by the toe or where he gets $50 to pay even once, much less every day...

Pretty sure I could sneak up on that sleepy little guy, but I really doubt he can cover the payment. And in any case, I couldn't force myself to wake him.

I have never wanted to make this a daily blog where I feel compelled to share the dull stuff like what we eat every day or give a daily weather update. Not that I think there is anything wrong with sharing that stuff in a blog, it's just not my style I guess. I value the time of our readers here and will always do my best to hopefully share something worthy of that time. So on that note, as in the past, I won't be doing daily posts, but I do plan to get back at it on a much more consistent level. I also have some new and hopefully interesting topics to share! Lots of mods in the works, some new plans, a new fun skill/hobby and a bunch more stuff I have always wanted to talk about.

Thanks for sticking with us during my extended break! I will do my best to make sure it was worth your patience :)

Finding Gold

2011-10-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

If you squint a little, maybe stick out your tongue and tip your head to the left, you will see there is a little gold in the bottom of that pan. A very little gold... This was found in a previous prospecting trip from a few years back.(the horrible picture is from then too).

There are some really great things about gold prospecting as a hobby that fits very well with the VanTramping lifestyle!

1) It is peaceful and entertaining. - Sitting beside a bubbling creek, slowly swirling away the layers of lighter material until you can see if the glimmer of gold shows up in the bottom of your pan.

2) Gold often is found in some of the most beautiful areas and that just happens to fit with our preferred surroundings!

3) You can make a little income from it. - You need a bit more than what I have above, and you likely won't get wealthy from it, but the price of gold is up there(about $1700 a troy ounce now) and it shows no signs of going down.

4) You don't need much equipment. - A good gold pan, small shovel, and a snuffer bottle is enough to get started.

There are many prospecting clubs out there to join which gives you access to their gold claims which many can be parked on or near, overnight. A couple good examples are:

http://www.washingtonprospectors.org

and of course

http://www.goldprospectors.org

Over the years, I have hunted gold with various methods including metal detectors, highbankers, gas powered dredges and more. They all work well, but I am finally settled down to just using a small 2' sluice box and basic panning gear. I really enjoy the more relaxed, simple and quiet way it works out.

Right now, we have our gear packed neatly in Taj's storage areas, but in the near future, I would like to get a small framed backpack and configure it all so it can be grabbed quickly.

Prospecting is definitely a fun hobby! I am always curious how many of our friends on the road enjoy it too!

Personal defense and more.

2011-10-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

The subject of personal defense and firearms tends to be a very "hot button" topic these days, but it is a subject that we take very seriously and we would like to share how it affects our VanTramping lifestyle. I hope it is of some value to you, our friends.

For Heidi and I, the decision to buy and carry firearms was based on a couple basic concepts. We never walk in fear, but from personal experience over the years as well as being aware of current trends in crime, being more able to protect each other is a solid reason. The fact that we enjoy shooting and feel like guns are a pretty safe investment also helped us decide.

We both have our CPLs and now carry the above Beretta PX4s pretty regularly. Heidi's is the 9MM on top, mine is chambered in .40 S&W. We recently joined the local indoor range and took a class to improve our shooting, both were good decisions.

Carrying concealed from state to state is one aspect that many consider complicated. Figuring out which states have reciprocity with Washington was not difficult. See here: Reciprocity maps If you know your route or have an idea, it is easy to figure out how to handle each state and their laws for dealing with carry or transport of firearms & ammo.

The 12 Gauge Mossberg is setup for home defense in it's current form, but is soon to gain an extra barrel with more length so it can optionally be used for hunting nummy tasting grouse and other game birds.

The air rifle, made by Beeman, is more for plinking and target shooting for now. It is capable of use for small game, but so far, unless there is some extreme need, that won't happen. I like furry little critters too much. All of our firearms fit easily in Taj and have their own specific locations.

To end this post, I will say that one of the things that we value most in this VanTramping lifestyle involves the pursuit of self sufficiency. Having the tools to defend yourself, without relying on Law Enforcement, (who likely won't be in the area when you most need them), is just one more step toward that goal.

Do I have to leave? Really?

2011-10-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, I was kidding about the title, sorta :) This pic is the view I had from my hospital bed. That is the bay here in Port Angeles. You can see the Coast Guard station out on the end of the "spit" to the right. It was pretty cool watching the CG choppers fly in and out for drills.

I am glad to be out of there and feeling tons better! Thank You to everyone for all the sweet comments! I didn't bring my computer in the room with me, but Heidi had hers and let me know about them as they came in. Having that kind of support is really encouraging!

The Olympic Medical Center here in PA is really a nice hospital. Very kind and thorough staff as well. My first room in the place last Tuesday didn't have the same spectacular view but was still very comfortable. The doctor, who was incredibly nice, said "Hey, I think we can do better than this" and had the staff move me! Don't find that kind of treatment very often! Easily the best hospital experience I have had ever! The food was even pretty decent, ordered from a menu, room service style.

As nice as it was, I am extremely happy to be out and back to having fun! Stay well friends, I will try to do the same!

Where's Mike!

2011-10-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that Michael is in the hospital.... and doing well. For those of you waiting on a return email from him, he'll be getting back to you when he gets out. He thanks you for your patience.

~Heidi

"Here fishy fishy"

2011-09-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

For the past few months especially, Heidi and I have been a lot less active online for fun reasons. We have been focusing more of our time on our hobbies, especially those that are more seasonal. I feel quite guilty that I haven't been sharing that with you all! So without further delay....

I confess! We have been fishing! Well at least that is some of what we have been up to. Notice, however, that I didn't say "we have been catching".

Yeah, those illusive fishies are still swimming around in the beautiful streams of the Olympic Peninsula without much reel(pun intended) danger from us.

I should speak for myself I guess. They were not in danger of me catching them. My focus really has been on finally learning to use my fly fishing gear that I have been hauling around for a few years now.

I grew up up using more familiar open face reels and weighted lures but something about fly fishing seems more interesting to me these days. Maybe I just watched "A River Runs Through It" a few too many times! Whatever it is, I really have been enjoying learning it so far.

Heidi, for now at least, is still using an open face reel and actually catching some little fish. Very ambitious little fish considering they have been very close in size to the lures she has been using! She has had a lot of fun too.

The fish will find their way onto our grill eventually! Until that happens, it's a good thing we enjoy pizza!

3 Little Things

2011-08-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

A guitar stand, a nebulizer and a flashlight, three things that have pretty much nothing to do with each other, but are perfect examples of ideal items for Vantramping.

Starting with the flashlight; Compared to our 2D LED Maglite that has always been with us up to now, this little Fenix TK15 is a fraction of the size and weight, yet is much more effective and multi-purpose. The Maglite is heavy enough to maybe clobber someone with and has a claimed output of 114 Lumens.

The little Fenix is not so heavy, but is very solid and equipped with scalloped bezels on both ends which could be used for self defense purposes. At 337 Lumens, you won't need to hit someone with it to defend yourself though! This thing is bright! It has 4 levels of brightness as well as a quite debilitating strobe function. It is well suited for self defense, search and rescue or perhaps signaling when needed and even functions well as a tactical light for firearms use.

The guitar stand isn't so multi-function, but is much nicer than most stands available and folds to a small enough size that it will fit right inside many guitar cases. I love this stand! It was included in this post because of how much more convenient it has proven to be compared to a regular folding stand. It is made by Cooperstand

The nebulizer, an Omron Microair, has been one of the best purchases yet for our life in the van. For me, with my CF, there is no getting around the fact that I need to have a nebulizer available always.

The old machine that this little gem replaced was a far different animal! It was basically a filtered 110V air compressor that fed pulsed air through plastic tubing connected to a nebulizer cup which vaporized the medicine (Albuterol in my case). It was a loud, cumbersome rig which did a swell job of fogging up the van with wasted meds, and at least once, getting the cops called at a park because "That crazy hippie in the van was smoking a bong!!" LOL! I suppose to some it probably looked that way...

The Microair is an amazing device. It will run for months on two standard AA batteries, is dead silent and has a momentary switch function that only fogs the medicine when you want it too (during inhale) so none is wasted coating everything else. It doesn't require any other cups or hoses and cleaning is much easier and faster than the old rig. The Microair is smaller than a can of pop which makes it extremely easy to store as well as carry along outside the van as needed.

3 little things, yep, they are! 3 wonderful little examples that show how a bit of research and careful shopping can improve your Vantramping life!

Lyre River Campground - Free Camping at it's best!

2011-07-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

I hesitate to publish this post for fear I may be chased out of this wonderful state! We like to tell people that "Washington is closed" or the more common, "it always rains here and is miserable at best"....I doubt either of those methods ever work, but I am always pleasantly surprised by the serenity that can be found here and that it remains far from crowded.

The Lyre River Campground is one of the many DNR campgrounds here that can be used by anyone with the new Discover Pass. Before this month, there was no such requirement. This is a new thing that the state has come up with to help with the budget. I don't mind it at all! There are rangers in the parks & campgrounds a few hours every day getting things in order and keeping them nice. Seems like a very small price to pay!

Can you spot Taj in the pic above? No, you aren't seeing double :) Of course Taj is on the right and "Glorie B", the trusty vanhome of Kris(Bittermoon), is at left. Kris has been in the area with her cute pup Lexi for a little while now and we have been lucky enough to share much of that time with her.

That strange green bucket with a stick protruding from it is actually a very cool rocket stove we purchased from Stovetec. Perhaps not easy to tell, but this is an action shot where it is doing an excellent job of cooking our nummy black-eye-pea and ham dinner(with Heidi's help of course)!

These are all shots taken while standing in our campsite. Sleeping with the river rambling so close is an easy thing to do! Such a soothing sound! We had a really great weekend hanging out, enjoying the peaceful beauty of the area!

We hope you find your way here too at some point, but just remember to make sure everyone knows how miserable and rainy it is :) I kinda suck at keeping secrets!

Salt Creek - Our Second Anniversary

2011-07-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

Heidi and I recently spent a wonderful weekend at Salt Creek Campground here on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. We were celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary! Best two years of my life so far!! The picture above is the view from the edge of our campsite looking out over the Strait of San Juan De Fuca.

We don't often stay at parks where there is an overnight fee, especially here on the OP where there are so many beautiful places a person can stay free. Salt Creek is special however! There is always a chance of seeing a whale passing by in the Strait or a family of otters playing in the tide. Healthy deer roam around the camp area without fear and squirrels delight in chasing each other from tree to tree! Beautiful scenery, cute critters and clean, fresh smelling salt air with just a hint of cedar, what's not to love?!!

Taj from the fence-line,,,

The fence-line from Taj.

Heidi and I have really been enjoying our summer so far and we hope you have as well!

BTW: These pictures were taken on the weekend of June 20th, but since today is July 4th;

"Happy Independence Day!!!"

Be The Change

2011-05-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

Rialto Beach...It is yet another of our amazing Washington treasures that helps me gain perspective.

One of my all time favorite Emerson quotes is;

"What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say."

It goes very well with the title of this post borrowed from Gandhi.

It also fits well with one of my favorite Bible verses, 1 John, 3:18 which says

"Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth".

When I remember these things, I always think back to debates and discussions I have had in various groups and forums online. In the end they are just words, easily discarded as opinion.

I am glad we started this blog. It is a place we can share what we do and how we live, hopefully with some evidence that it isn't just words, but a life that is proving itself to be more rewarding each day. Perhaps not for everyone, but it has definitely been the right lifestyle for us.

Yahoo Vandwellers

2011-04-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

For those who didn't know, the Yahoo Vandwellers group has been a big factor in both Heidi and my life around the last 4 to 5 years. We met online there, and over time, fell for each other completely. The picture of the "smooching" vans is from our first night spent together when we met up in Salt Lake City. Now this year, June 20th to be exact, we are celebrating our second wedding anniversary and both of us still consider ourselves vandwellers and remain a part of the group.

For a bit over a year now I have been one of a few moderators on the group as well. This post is really a bit of an announcement to my vandweller friends that I am going to no longer function in that capacity. I just don't want to commit the amount of time that is required to actively do the job any longer. With 7000 plus members, it really has become a very big job even shared among the few active mods. Some adjustments have been made behind the scenes and new help has been found so I am feeling better about it.

Thanks to the decision to stop moderating vandwellers, I will have a lot more available time to dedicate to our life of fun and blogging again as well as the jewelry work, Taj mods, my neglected guitar, my under-utilized mountain bike, fly fishing, prospecting, sling-shot fun and and and... lots more stuff!

So that's my big news for the day :) Yay for more time!!

My Artistic Side

2011-04-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Since I have been so quiet lately, I wanted to share at least one of the projects I have been up to. The project has absolutely nothing to do with Mr Hotdog in the above image, but someone, somewhere considered that thing art so I thought I would share him with my blogger friends! Mr Hotdog (who I find a bit creepy actually) is no longer at the location shown. I am guessing he was stolen by some bored group of teens :) Heidi thinks he may be getting a makeover... I guess he does look like he could use one.

Okay, so back on track here.

I have been putting the Foredom (seen in my last post) to use. I am in process of building a couple LED sconce style lights for Taj. They are of a design I have had in mind for quite a while, utilizing cut, frosted wine bottles, a bit of copper and a little wood. I will hopefully have some pictures for you this coming week.

My list of projects for Taj this year is huge as I have mentioned before. Now that it is warmer out, I am getting into gear and starting on many of them. I have noticed lately that the artistic potential of the various mods I am working on is more on my mind. Modifying Taj really could be considered a hobby even though the mods are always designed to make our lives/home more comfortable and efficient.

I am curious how many other of our nomadic living friends out there shares this same sort of addiction :) Do you enjoy creatively modifying your traveling home or is it more about just meeting a need?

Dremel Shmemel...

2011-03-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

I have always been a fan of rotary tools! There is almost no limit to the things you can make with them and their uses cover a wide range of applications. The Foredom flexshaft system above is my new favorite tool! So far I haven't been able to actually perform any tasks with it due to my strange need to stare at it repeating "my precious" in a whispery voice :)

Also in the pic above, there are a few additions to the base config that I went ahead and bought now knowing I would use them. The bench mounting yolk, the hammer handpiece, desktop speed controller and the polishing bit set should help with a lot of the jewelry work I have in mind. I still have tons of diamond tipped as well as stone points and other cutters left unused from dead Dremels of days past.

I should have some fun creations to post soon!

My Mom and her great RV adventure!

2011-03-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

Moms, ya gotta love em! I have to tell ya that ours keeps us perhaps a bit more entertained than most.

Her and Jerry and their tiny, attitudinal dog/cat (I can't really say for sure) have been on an incredible RV adventure this year for the first time as retired folk. They bought the above class A (Lucy) while still in MN and set out on the road.

Well, the adventure thus far has been fun as I understand, and filled with all the standard NewB RVer scenarios of course. Mom always does it up right ya know!

At any rate, I get this phone call the other night describing a scene that I did my best to replicate for you above with GIMP (my favorite image editing system). Luckily, all is well other than a now somewhat smaller retaining wall at the RV park they stayed in and a little dent in Lucy's ladder.

I realize it might be considered bratty to make such a post about one's own mother, but I had to do it. She sent ME a dog toy in the mail the other day! A DOG toy! LOL! Yeah we love her!

Why I follow you...

2011-03-10T10:39:00.000-08:00

So many blogs, so little time! Seriously, Heidi and I enjoy reading blogs for so many reasons, because of the great pictures, the cool things we learn, the people we get to know, humor, inspiration, and the list goes on and on.

One thing we try to do is always follow the blogs of those who follow us. Just a little reciprocity. On that note, I have been way behind on adding new blogs so, if you are one of our "Wise and Wonderful People" and you have a blog that I don't follow, shoot me an email or comment here and I will come follow you!

Of course we love all our readers and are grateful that you choose to take the time to read our ramblings!

I wanted to make mention of a few things I have been working on(though not quite done with). If you glance over there <--- you will see a new link "Great Blogs & Links". If you click on it, it will take you to a page where I am putting links to everyone's blogs and other resources I think you might find interesting. Also, just under that you might notice that it says "last 5 new follower's blogs". That one is self explanatory I think :)

I have quite a few ideas I want to incorporate into the blog over the next few weeks however, if anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them!

The picture was taken a few years back on the coast of Oregon along Highway 101. I love that drive!

Focus!

2011-03-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

For a little while now, I have felt a bit like I was in a "Blogger Funk"... After thinking about it however, I know that isn't really the case. At least I don't think so. I have no shortage of post-worthy material and no lack of desire to put it here. Lately, I have just been failing at one of my normally strongest attributes which is focus.

I made a post a while back, Regaining Balance, which is related to this whole focus thing as well. It all ties together. In recent months I have neglected both balance and focus. I always have a gazillion projects and areas of research which is fine, I just have to remember to focus on one at a time so I can knock em off my list!

Heidi has had no such lapse! She has really been on a roll, experimenting with all kinds of cool stuff! Not just experimenting, but obtaining results. Check our other blog (really it is her blog), Vansteaders, there is usually something cool to read there!

(Yeah I am biased but it's true)

So now I am going to declare the "funk" or blog-blackout or whatever it was over and finish a bunch of the projects for this place I have been working on. Thanks to all of my "Wise and Wonderful People" (followers) and readers for sticking around! Interesting note: My Dad said he would stop following me if I didn't post something pretty quick LOL!

Missed Mod, LED Dash Illumination

2011-02-19T10:48:00.000-08:00

Wow that is a horrible picture! Sorry about that :( It really doesn't give a very good idea at how well this mod worked out. In reality, that eerie glow doesn't show up to the human eye. The numbers and letters are illuminated perfectly with a bright but very pleasant blue color and the overall appearance is much improved IMHO.

I titled this as a "missed mod" because it was actually done last year but the lousy picture made me hesitant to post it. I thought I could get a better one with a higher quality camera, now I know better, I need a better photographer! Good thing I don't have to make a living on my mad camera skillz....

The bulbs were purchased from Super Bright LEDs. There are several options to replace the original #194 bulbs (shown on the right above), on the left, you can see the 4 LED version I opted for. I ordered 12, all blue which was enough to replace all the original bulbs. If I had to do it over, I would have ordered a few green and red to match the turn signal arrows and various warning lamps. Now it is all very blue!

This was the start of an ongoing project to replace all of the lighting (wherever possible) with LED's both in and outside of Taj. The more entertaining part will be the custom fixtures for the main living area.